Ben Matheson, KNOM - Nome

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Ben Matheson is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.

First Kuskokwim Restrictions Expected May 21

Expecting another poor king salmon run, the first fishing restrictions are expected to go into effect on May 21st. With the lessons learned from 2014, managers hope to bring enough king salmon to spawning grounds and allow for limited fishing along the way. Download Audio:

Court Overturns Wassillie Gregory’s Conviction

A judge has dismissed the harassment conviction of a man who was roughly arrested by a former Bethel police officer in the AC parking lot. Judge Bruce Ward approved the application Monday for post conviction relief filed by Wassillie Gregory’s attorney after video surfaced last month.

Tuluksak Man Shoots Three, No Major Injuries

A Tuluksak man shot three people, including a tribal police officer Wednesday evening.

Teacher Charged with Felony Sex Abuse

A teacher in Kwigillingok has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student.

Man Shot by Bethel Police Sentenced for Assault

A man who was shot by Bethel police after chasing and striking an officer with a baseball bat was sentenced to three years in prison with two suspended. Aaron Moses was sentenced Friday in Bethel Superior Court. Because he’s been in custody since last summer, he will have time served credited to his sentence.

Tribal Fish Commission Seeks Management Role

The path to unified management of Kuskokwim salmon stocks is uncharted, but along the way, the newly established Kuskokwim River Inter Tribal Fisheries Commission wants involvement at each step. That begins with tribal consultation in preparations for another summer of sacrifice. The commission’s inaugural meeting concluded Wednesday in Bethel.

Body Recovered Believed to be Akiak Woman

Troopers say the body thought to be an Akiak woman who died last year when a 4-wheeler went into an open hole on the Kuskokwim River near Kwethluk has been recovered.

Woman Dies in ATV Crash in Upper Kalskag

State troopers say a woman died when her 4-wheeler flipped twice and threw her from the vehicle. 34-year-old Merna Spein was driving down main street in Upper Kalskag Saturday afternoon when she lost control.

Feds to Manage 2015 Kuskokwim King Run

Federal staff will again manage king salmon on the lower Kuskokwim River after requests from tribes. Earlier this year, a handful of tribal governments asked the federal subsistence board to implement federal management. The Federal Subsistence Board deferred last month, but at a Friday meeting of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leaders announced a plan for federal management.  Download Audio:

Federal Biologists to Manage Kuskokwim Kings

Federal staff will again manage king salmon on the lower Kuskokwim River after requests from tribes. Earlier this year, a handful of tribal governments asked the federal subsistence board to implement federal management. The Federal Subsistence Board deferred last month, but at a Friday meeting of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leaders announced a plan for federal management.

City Council Protests Two Liquor Store Licenses

It’s been four decades since Bethel had a liquor store, and for now that status will continue. The Bethel City Council voted Tuesday to protest two liquor store license applications from the Bethel Native Corporation’s Bethel Spirits and the Alaska Commercial Company. The debate now leaves city hall as citizens gear up for a new advisory vote.

Bethel City Council Votes To Deny Liquor Licenses

It’s been four decades since Bethel had a liquor store, and for now, that status will continue.

Bethel City Council Votes To Protest Liquor Licenses

It’s been four decades since Bethel had a liquor store, and for now, that status will continue. The Bethel City Council voted Tuesday to protest two liquor store license applications from the Bethel Native Corporation’s Bethel Spirits and the Alaska Commercial Company

A Moving Target: Postal Inspectors Root Out Liquor By Mail

Citizens in Bethel are weighing a decision on a proposal for the first liquor store in decades. In the shadow of the debate is a powerful and elaborate bootlegging economy across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. A small team of federal law enforcement agents with the United States Postal Inspection Service is working to keep alcohol out of the mail. It’s one of the oldest law enforcement agency in the country, a group with a unique mission that chases after each suspicious package.

A Moving Target: Stopping Booze at the River

Citizens in Bethel are weighing a decision on a proposal for the for the first liquor store in decades. In the shadow of the debate is a powerful and elaborate bootlegging economy across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The region’s three Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Taskforce investigators can’t be everywhere at once. Some villages are trying to fill in gaps where bootlegged alcohol reaches dry option communities. In the second of a three-part series on the law enforcements efforts to stem the flow of alcohol to the region KYUK’s Ben Matheson reports on Akiak’s tribal approach.

A Moving Target: WAANT Pursues Bootleg Liquor

Citizens in Bethel are weighing a decision on a proposal for the for the first liquor store in decades. In the shadow of the debate is a powerful and elaborate bootlegging economy across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Bethel Team Envisions Greywater Recycling

A Bethel team is re-envisioning how household water is treated. They hope to build and test a custom greywater recycling system for hauled systems in Western Alaska that could steeply cut the amount of water households need to buy and reduce the amount of sewage they produce. Download Audio

Cama-i Celebrates Tradition For All Generations

The Cama-i festival packed the Bethel Regional High School gym for a weekend of dancing, singing, and celebrating life in the YK Delta. Traditional and modern dance groups from the YK Delta and native performers from across the country came to Bethel to express in song and dance this year’s timeless theme: Generations Celebrating Through Dance. Download Audio

FBI Looks Into Bethel Incident

FBI staff were in Bethel recently on a fact finding mission related to an incident in which a former Bethel police officer arrested a man in a parking lot. Download Audio

WAANT Makes Arrests for Alleged Bootlegging

Investigators from the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics team arrested two people in seperate incidents Monday. They say 23-year-old Olivia Guest was contacted as she attempted to fly to Chefornak with five bottles of alcohol in her luggage and purse. They say she became confrontational and pushed the investigator away from her luggage. Guest is being charged with alcohol importation and disorderly conduct.